Latest news with #HannahAppleyard
BBC News
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wakefield gaming festival to showcase work of indie firms from Yorkshire
A two-day gaming event featuring consoles developed by independent firms from across Yorkshire is taking place in WX Games Weekend offers gaming fans a chance to play on a range of modern and retro games consoles as well as to attend workshops for those keen to work in the industry. It is taking place at the Wakefield Exchange, which opened at the former market hall on Union Street in February. Hannah Appleyard, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said the event would be "highlighting the many opportunities there are in the city and region to work in games and the creative industries". The free event has been organised by Wakefield Council working alongside Game Republic, which is a northern-based games industry network. Jamie Sefton, managing director of Game Republic, said the event was suitable for all ages, "whether you want a job in games or would just like to play games for the weekend from retro classics to VR games". He said that over 40 independent games companies based across Yorkshire and the north of England would be showcasing their new games at the event ahead of their official said the event would also feature e-sports challenges, talks from people in the gaming industry and skills support from Wakefield covered at the free workshops include how to design games and designing a gaming WX Exchange has previously hosted Game Republic's GaMaYo event for gaming developers based in Yorkshire and the north of England. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Roman coin moulds used for forgeries go on display
Coin moulds which were used for counterfeiting money during Roman times are to go on display in a West Yorkshire museum. The moulds were discovered at Ackton Meadows in Castleford and are thought to date to about AD260 when the Roman world was undergoing a period of political instability and coins were in short supply. Hannah Appleyard, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said the moulds would add to the wealth of Roman history on show at Castleford Museum. "This latest find paints a fascinating story of life in our district almost 2,000 years ago. They'll have pride of place alongside the other Roman artefacts in Castleford so people can find out more," she said. "It's very important to preserve our archaeological heritage for future generations to enjoy. "So, we'll be working with the West Yorkshire Archive Service to protect and categorise these new discoveries." The find was uncovered during an excavation by West Yorkshire Archaeological Services ahead of the construction of a new housing development. Speaking on BBC Two's Digging for Britain, excavation manager Dave Williams said the site probably formed part of a settlement on the outskirts of Roman Castleford. He said: "We knew very little about the site before we started. We put some trenches in and that started turning up archaeological features with Roman pottery in them." In the first century AD, the Roman army set up camp on the River Aire and built a fort called Lagentium, on which modern-day Castleford is built. Roman coin moulds have been found in the area before, according to Wakefield Council. More than 300 moulds, dated to around AD238, were found at Lingwell near Wakefield between 1695 and 1830. Many of these are featured in the Castleford Museum collection, which also includes Roman coins found in Castleford during excavations in the 1980s. Some of the earliest coins were made of bronze and then coated in silver to make them look like solid silver. Coin expert Murray Andrews told Digging for Britain that the method found on site was a standard way of making counterfeit coins. He said: "It's often a way of making more valuable coins out of less valuable materials. Counterfeiting was a crime in the Roman empire and punishable by crucifixion. "It's a time in which there's hyperinflation and prices are rising so people use fakes and copies instead." Many other examples of Roman coin moulds have been found in neighbouring South Yorkshire, suggesting there was a regional black market industry, according to Wakefield Council. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. 'Glitz and glamour' of marbles contest celebrated Museum to stay open as council budget finalised Plans for new museum and art gallery approved Castleford Museum
